Institute of education experiences now fundamental crisis not only in Russia, but on a global scale. " The Crisis of a university " is a subject of national discussions in many western countries. The subject of debates is, whether the educational system should produce narrow and professional experts having a quite specific knowledge and skills, or it should mainly educate the competent and accountable members of society, to provide an all-around development of abilities of the person.
Russia has not stayed away from these tendencies. "Today we, maybe, not understanding it entirely, experience the real revolution of education … in the purposes, values and orientation, in contents and character, in structure of the direct participants of educational process, in its duration and methods, and at last in amount of support, which our society provided and is going to provide with education”.

The analysis of development of reforms has allowed to conduct comparative research of Russian education at different stages of its development and to find out some of internal factors of its change.

I have considered it to be of use to conduct the comparative analysis of university level education in USSR, in 90-s' and now, when the reforms of education are declared.
Russia has inherited from the Soviet Union mass and rather qualitative education system, on maintenance which one in the best times almost 8 percents of a GDP were transferred. In 1989 the mean wages in education system made 71 % from that of industry.

In the basis of a university model of education in Russia the German model is fixed. It envisioned availability of such major principles, as ‘fundamentality, universality, stage by stage development and systematizing. (For Example, the Higher Imperial technical school was taken as the basis of creation Massachusetts technological institute")

 In the Soviet period higher education in USSR, despite of isolation of the country, had a number of positive features. Not focusing on them, we shall mark only one - fundamentality of higher education, which means that it was saturated by basis disciplines of theoretical character. This doubtless dignity came in an inconsistency with absence of the market: the graduate of this type of educational system is highly competitive and mobile in market economy, he easily specializes and alters his major. The absence of the market resulted in a separation of highly educated professionals of a theoretical sphere from practical implementation of their knowledge, with the of exception of a defense sphere, where they incorporated.

  In the 90-s' this feature of Russian education was preserved only at some leading universities. Other universities become oriented to the great extent on applied knowledge, that does not also bring positive outcomes in the time of information revolution and of creation of "knowledge society" in the West. As the result we get reduction of a theoretical level of knowledge of graduates.

  Updating the programs, introduction of new scientific disciplines such as sociology, culturology, politology etc., happens simultaneously, standards of Russian and western education merge. Some universities institutionalized multilevel education (bachelors, experts, masters).
The universities, but has met difficulties because of absence of adequate of structures of employment. In Russia there is no practice of working place given for the people with the diplomas of bachelors. They are treated as people who have not finished their education, with appropriate consequences for their placement. The majority of them do not work for the job they were trained for.

Evaluated by students as more objective, it is at the same time more difficult and dependent on quality of teaching to the greater extent, than the traditional one. The introduction of a credit system began already in 10 high school establishments of country (for example, Higher School of Economy, Russian university of Friendship of the People, Novosibirsk university, Tomsk university).

Innovations in Russian education have resulted in creation of the more diverse forms of training, sometimes too diverse and not having a unified standard. Especially this is true about private universities, many of which are not capable to compete with state owned universities and were the form of privatization of education extremely for the sake of a profit.

However crisis tendencies have begun to be observed in higher education simultaneously: decrease of quality of education, education system began to experience an acute deficit of qualified personnel. Besides since 1995 debts have begun to arise and to be multiplied in an education system: the debts of educational institutions on payment of bills, then - in wages. Thus, the modernization of the education system, and first of all of its structural and economic mechanism, has become to this time strongly indispensable. The main problem of education is that it for 10 years receives insignificant a small share - from 15 up to 40 % of indispensable costs.

Factors of corruption in education as well as it's underfinancing, and conversion of technical specialties (which was successfully finished) initiated a series of educational reform's measures.

Some of reform's phases:
- 1992. The law "About education" is adopted
- 1993. Work on the educational standards began.
- 1996. The Federal law "About higher and post-graduate professional education" is adopted.
- "The National doctrine of education in Russian Federation ", prepared by Ministry of Education, Russia. It is adopted by Government of Russian Federation (October 4, 2000).
- "The Recommendation of parliamentary hearings about the concept of reforming of education in the project of the program of Government of Russian Federation on a long-term perspective " (November 14, 2000).
- “Modernization of Education” section, Strategy for Development of Russian Federation till 2010.
- "The Concept of Modernizing of Russian education till 2010 ", which is adopted by Government of Russian Federation (December 29, 2001).

Despite these changes, 90-s' are not period of reforms of education, since the changes had not systematic and purposeful character. They mainly borrowed western forms of training, but the unsystematic character of the borrowing quite often destroyed former experience and did not lead to something of better. For example, the basic non-realized system project in educational policy of Russia is 1992 year Law of Russian Federation on Education ".

 By a 2000 crisis of Russian system of education was highly recognized.

The project of renovation of Russia adopted by Putin's government actuated also reform of education, which henceforth is formally bound with the general Strategy of Russian development till 2010, which is known as G.Gref (minister of development and trade) project. In the project attention given to education was insufficient. The projects stateed inability of the state to finance education and that it is mutual responsibility of the state, society and individuals to distribute financial of burden of education. Here it was not taken into account that the majority of the population, especially it's highly educated layer is poor, that those who are rich do not want to invest of neither in education, nor in any other sphere of Russian economy (with the exception of petroleum industry), and remove their capitals abroad; that there is no real civil society in the country and the middle class is weak.

Not satisfied by the program proposed by G.Gref the society started to search for more comprehensive approach to educational reform. The project of Gref was critically perceived by Ministry of education, rectors of universities, which, by recognizing necessity of market transformations in of education, are sure, that aims of education can not exclude poor and not rich population. The Ministry of Education offered the project of reforms, called “The Concept of Modernizing of Russian education till 2010” where a key role play such principles as the accessibility of education, it's susceptibility to western experience while preserving the best national traditions, termination of corruption in education (admission to university for bribes or by means of artful manipulation in a system of preparation for entrance exams (as a latent bribe), and as happens to some private universities, payment in many of which acts as a guarantor of a good evaluation at examination and shelter from army for young people).

In 2002 tuition-free education rate at state universities is preserved at the level of 40,7 %. Those students who fail to pass examination will pay in 2002 - 2003 from $ 4000 up to $ 7000 per year. In Russia only rich people can pay that cost, middle class level of income is very different from that of middle class of the West.
The simplified model of educational reform can be seen in three main points –12 years of school education, entering high schoolestablishments by results of a unified graduation examination (UGE) and introduction of a system of the state nominal fiscal obligations (SNFO), permitting graduates with excellent records of UGE to study in higher education institutions of the country free of charge.

The project of a 12 years school studies, which has originated a set of negative responses from the population and teachers, however is still developing by the ministry taking into account Russian realities. This form of education is that the European countries and recently to their number were added Ukraine and Byelorussia have taken as a model.

The unified graduation examination (UGE) for the second year is carried outin Russia experimentally. In the last year UGE was conducted in five regions, this year 16 new regions were added to the experiment, and in the following year it is planned to conduct UGE in two thirds of regions of Russian Federation.

The reform is planned to be undertaken in some stages, starting with reforms of school education and proceeding to reforming of higher education. There is a problem of coordination secondary and higher education, how the third stage of school education will be built (whether in school will study university curricula or something other). The unique body engaged in this is Social-humanitarian council at the minister of education office aiming at construction of the unified strategy of education - school education + higher education. Nowadays activity in adjustment of school and higher education is conducted and in the field of teaching domestic and foreign history (it is the unique program, which one on the present moment is developed).
The purpose of a school stage of education: active socialization in market conditions as well as conditions of information processes and globalization, and social adaptation. At the second stage the purpose of entering higher educational establishment is not put, as it was in USSR (this value is no more a reference point). The purpose is one - adapting.
Narrow specialization is offered for those who want to continue education in higher education. In the two last grades the student should select one of 5-6 programs (humanitarian, scientific, mathematics and computer science, economy and law, technical, agrarian), and this possibility should be given to each citizen of Russia. Each schoolboy should have capability to receive profile education at the expense of the state. The profile school, some reformers argue, will allow to overcome not only formal universalism of higher education, but also an objective gap between the requirements of higher and secondary education. What is important – refusal of universalism and fundamentality of education in educational policy, that was an integral part of training earlier. Unfortunately, it can not strengthen applied significance of education when role of knowledge in the world is increasing.

Today cautious steps on separate experimental platforms realize reform. The time of entering in universities - summer of 2002 has become time of scrambling with corruption as by force methods, and by means of a new graduation examinations made on local place and permitting according to records to apply for study at diverse universities.

" The Unified examination will give advantages by granting of the state grants on obtaining of higher education to the not best students, but, at first, children of the rich bribers, and, secondly, students from locales with a heightened level of corruption ", note some experts.

There is also danger, bound with variability and personalizing of educational programs (in itself idea, certainly, is quite good) – it sometimes results in not permissible decrease of quality of education for poor (they are treated as unfit and not gifted).
For successful realization of the Concept of modernization of education approved by government in December, 2001 international loan is taken. Total amount of the loan for five years is 50 million of dollars. From them federal part is - 12 million of dollars (24 percents), regional - 38 million of dollars (76 percents).

The modernization of the Russian education system professed more than a year ago, rises heated disputes. It is interesting that problems of contents of education after a beginning of appropriate experiment are on a second plan. Most of debates focus on introduction of a unified graduation examination , state nominal fiscal obligations , change of the status of educational establishments.

The concept have been subject to changes during 2000-2001 years. Now the writers of the concept of modernization of education had to refuse many radical solutions, including 12 years of school study. Actually 12-year's education has become a question of good will. A unified graduation examination, the second key point of educational reform, nor has found of unequivocal support. Experiment on UGE have been decided to proceed.

As for the unit of social problems. The government has excluded the main point on introduction of the state minimum social standards in education, eliminated the idea about increase in the nearest period of a minimum tariff of the pedagogical staff up to a level not below than the cost of living. The rising of the average salary of the teacher up to an average level of industry by 2004 is postponed already till 2006.

The Russian public is not satisfied with reduction of a share of fundamental education, considering it  national quality of education, arguing that fundamental education allows fast respecializing and adaptation to new conditions, while narrow professional knowledge becomes outdated in conditions of globalization very fast.The transformation of higher education in education for the selected, policy of the unequal status of education (to the detriment of to quality), no guarantied  equal access to education are criticized. The pursuit for commercialization of education is criticized, as a result of which quality of the students is lost. There is a suspicion that the ambition of the educational executives predominates above social problems.

The external factors of reforms of Russian education.

The reforms were also initiated by Russian openness, entering global community both international and European educational community. A.Adamsky, one of the most active propagandists of the project of modernization of education, writes, that the essence of ideas, offered the reformers, is a globalization, "entering of Russia in the global market of education".

The external factor in the project of reforms is taken into account in two aspects: from the point of view of ability of the Russian professionals to meet with world and European standards and focusing on world experience when training students. The problem of conformity to the international standards is put forward. Realization " of a credit system " in high schools of our country, the transition to a unified graduation examination, has underlined Russian Minister of Education, will promote recognizing of the Russian formation abroad.

Sorbonne and joint declaration of the European Ministers of Education convened in Bologna on the 19th of June 1999 on The European Higher Education Area also play their role. Though both these declarations are not signed by Russia, there are on-going debates over the documents and orientation on them, struggle between supporters and of opponents of European standardization.
 

Globalization and education.

The majority of modern analytical works in higher education are no separable from understanding such process as a globalization. And globalization is treated as two-sided process: effect of a globalization on development of higher education and the return effect. The basic idea, with which I treat the problem of globalization's impact on education - unity of globalization and localization, which famous English scientist R.Robertson has called “glocalization”. Globalization demands certain universalization and standardization of education ensuring participation of a professional from any country in the global market. However this ability is frequently provided by specific nature of national education (programmers of India, mathematics of Russia, paleontologists of Mongolia etc.).

Several approaches in the study of effect of a globalization on operation of educational institutes are used. One group of analysts underline, that under effect of globalization the conditions of development of higher education have changed (that is seen as reduction of state financing), and it results in commercialization of higher education, peaking of a competitiveness. Some consider that the  following course of action is inevitable in conditions of globalization " … Only the paranoid, only those who are constantly looking over their shoulders to see who is creating something new that will destroy them and then staying just one step ahead of them, will survive. Those … that are most willing to let capitalism quickly destroy inefficient companies (and organizational establishments as well, - N.F.), so that money can be freed up and directed to more innovative ones, will thrive in the era of globalization. Those which rely on their governments to protect them from such creative destruction will fall behind in this era ".

The supporters of the other point of view underline, that globalization promotes growth of international component in activities of universities. It is exhibited, for example, in an expansion of international contacts and cooperation of high school institutions, increase of a universal component in training, change of the educational plans - introduction engaging of the foreign pupils, opening of international virtual universities, opening of campus branches abroad, international research projects etc. These analysts underline mainly positive aspects of effect of a globalization on education.

Russia is aimed at entering a global world system, with a worthy place in a world-wide educational field. Therefore it is important to pay attention, how the western experts evaluate effect of a globalization on education and educational establishments in particular of western countries. The globalization stems from western countries, they and are main beneficiaries of global transformations. Therefore reference to western experts’ opinions and experience of western countries is justified.

The theoretical understanding of new conditions, in which one has appeared formation and the universities per the last 20 years are given by the neo-Keynesian consensus concept, developed by Guy Neave and Frans Van Vught. They argue that there was a neo-Keynesian consensus in higher education operating from the end of the war to the late seventies. This consensus saw higher education as having an economic aspect in the advancement of resource development through public investment, a political aspect in raising of the overall level of education, and a social aspect in the provision of access and opportunity. Neave and Van Vught argue that this consensus has now broken down due to a greater emphasis on the need for higher education to respond to industry and ensure national economic survival.

Some writers suppose, that it is the economic component of a globalization that is most powerful, thus the economic philosophy of a globalization most hardly affects  educational practice - priorities of the market, privatization, deregulation of economy and reduction of a role of public sector. Moreover, in opinion of many western experts, globalization is one of the most fundamental challenges, the university is facing  which puts into question the social institute itself.

Many countries in particular English-speaking, carry out educational policy affected by new realities of globalization. In Great Britain the minister of education in 2000 has indicated necessity of fast adaptation of universities to globalization’s effects, mainly by organization of distant learning. He has underlined, that the universities, which will not act that way, will not survive, and the government will not save them. The similar point of view is stated by the minister of education of Australia, who is asserting that for survival in a global world it is necessary that universities enter market relations and become the enterprises of business oriented on the inquiries of the consumer.

The strengthening of global rationality results in the similar forms of educational systems, though it does not mean, that a unified universal educational system will ascend the throne in all countries. The conclusions of a similar kind are anticipatory, since the processes of globalization are only generated, globalization is not a completed process.

Some western analysts suppose, that exactly the globalization, formation of the global market has become one of the basic reasons of reducing of state financing of higher education in 90-ies. The growing financial burden on higher education, growth of a competitiveness from private and corporate universities have resulted in strengthening of attention to higher education in a view of an estimation of its efficiency and contribution to national economic prosperity. Thus, higher education institutions have to considerably take into account needs of a society, coming closer to market is required. "The market (as the institute) starts to determine ultimate goals, aims and organization of education, displacing from this orb the state. Students are even more often considered not as the citizens having the right for education, but as consumers of educational services, and on the basis of such approach their relationships with educational establishments are built".

For maintenance of their place in the global market, increase of number of highly paid jobs governments of western countries (USA, Canada, the Great Britain and Australia) conducted policy "of academic capitalism". It’s main characteristics are: introduction or increase of tuition fees at universities, transition from giving students grants to granting educational loans, and also undertaking of commercially beneficial research to the detriment of fundamental in high school institutions. The new economic realities force higher education establishments to achieve increase of incomes at the expense of commercial activity, engaging of private donations, to contract with firms for realization of research and training of personnel etc. However part of the fault lies on educational establishments themselves: "Academe itself is partly responsible for the danger. Some universities have been all too willing to involve themselves in commercial activities and to compromise their traditional roles".

Impact of globalization, G.Subotzky argue, is encompassed in appearance of enterprise, market-oriented universities, and in change of control of higher education. The globalization exerts influence on realization of research projects, and it in turn, results in organizational and structural changes in higher education. As a corollary the universities become enterprise market-oriented, inside them there is market behaviour and management. They serve business interests: they are guided by commercialization of scientific research, growth of private financing, creation of corporate universities. In outcome there is a fragmentation of teaching and research. The similar tendencies destroy traditional organizational structures and functions of higher education. Therefore many analysts write against the utilitarian and consumer approaches to education. "Subjecting higher education to regulation by the W.T.O. would destroy one of the most valuable components of any society … For centuries, universities have performed a central function in society: they provided education in practical fields of knowledge, as well as preserving cultural traditions. In the 19th century, science and research were added to the academic mission. Society treated universities as special institutions precisely because their goals went beyond everyday commerce. Now, all of that is under threat".

Globalization of education has a danger, which is called McDonaldization of education in western literature. We frequently see this phenomenon in Russia. It means simplified rationalization eliminating a creative element from education. According to the G.Ritzer's concept the fast-food chain McDonalds may be regarded as a metaphor of the continuing rationalization of modern society. He defines four main dimensions of the process: efficiency, quantification and calculability, predictability and the substitution of non-human technology for human technology (or control).

 Many western experts come to a conclusion, that dominant economically oriented paradigm contradicts public predestination of higher education and maintenance of its contribution into public good, fundamental studies, creation of a more fair society. "Governments and other public authorities need to give academic institutions the support they need to fulfill their mission. Constantly squeezing their budgets, demanding ever-greater accountability, and insisting that academe fundamentally change its goals do not serve the public of interest in the long run", - argues P.Altbach.

The globalization has also regional measurement. Let's focus on two relevant documents on European integration in the field of education - Bologna and Sorbonne declarations. The Bologna declaration professes formation of a unified educational field of a unified Europe. Thus remains vague to what social context this statement concerns, Europe includes now too miscellaneous countries (West-European, Central European and East Europe). It is possible to say, that there is a perspective of integration of European countries not only in a financial sphere. But it is just a perspective, the similar degree of an integration is very far from the present day realities.

Further there are problems with a degree of unity of technological development of European space, namely what knowledge will be necessary, what transformations in technologies will dominant. That is what type there will be a majority of European countries - industrial or postindustrial and informational. Lots depends on this circumstance, for example for a postindustrial countries the most typical is the problem of 20 to 80. It is a metaphor for a problem of employment: many writers note, that for effective operation of modern information society 20 % of the most  qualified employees are enough (in the majority they belong to the countries of a golden billion), and the remaining 80 % appear completely waste and useless. What is the way higher education reacts to this structural changes, and what type of experts it is oriented on remains unaffected in the declarations.

Sorbonne declaration (has preceded the Bologna) has indicated trends in European countries. Harmonization of educational space does not mean, that the trends should be liquidated. Just to the contrary, inter-European national specialization should be considered. For example, it is well-known, that Hindu are very good programmers, and fundamentality was the feature of Russian education that raised it to a world altitude. These trends are very important; they are necessarily to be taking into account, as they reflect national features and sphere of abilities.

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